On our way to Fort William we went "off track" to visit Glen Coe, the site of the infamous massacre of the McDonald Clan. The MacDonalds had fought in the Jacobite Uprising in 1689 which had resulted in their defeat. William of Orange, the English King, offered all Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite Uprising, as long as they took an oath of allegiance, but Alastair Maclain, 12th Chief of Glencoe, waited until the last day before setting out to take the oath and therefore doing it a wee bit after the closing date. Thinking his oath had been accepted he returned to Glencoe. Plans however were already underway to "to root out the den of thieves in the Valley of Glencoe" so in early February, 1692, approximately 120 men under the command of Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, were billeted at the MacDonalds in Glencoe, who received them in the hospitable tradition of the Highlands. On the night of 12th February 1692 however, after spending the evening playing cards with their unsuspecting victims they retiring, wished them goodnight. At 5am next day the soldiers arose and the massacre began. In all, 38 men were murdered either in their homes or as they tried to flee the glen. Another 40 women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned. The Glen itself is quiet beautiful as it meanders through the the high peaks surrounding it. Through Fort William is Glen Nevis another delightful valley with the highest mountains in the British Isles, Ben Nevis with Steall Falls where the Allt Coire a'Mhail joins the Water of Nevis in the glen.
Glencoe
just another loch - this time in Glencoe
Three Sisters in Glencoe
Trail through the glen
Glen Nevis
highland Coo (cows)
Ha! I laugh at danger.
Steall Falls
Our second day in Fort William we planned to catch the Jacobite Train which runs from Ft William to Mallaig and return but .... on talking to our hostess and reading the "road trip" notes she had prepared we decided to give it a miss and drive ourselves. It was a great decision! We stopped and saw heaps, including the ruined Inverlochy Castle and the Jacobite train passing over "that" viaduct.
The ruined Inverlochy built in 1280
Neptune's Staircase, part of the Caledonian Canal
Arisaig on the road to the isles
Three bums on a beach
Mallaig harbour
Gail, roaming in the gloaming
On the small ferry on our way back to Fort William
The Glanfinnan viaduct
Monument to all the clansmen who fought for the Jacobite cause
Plans however were already underway to "to root out the den of thieves in the Valley of Glencoe" so in early February, 1692, approximately 120 men under the command of Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, were billeted at the MacDonalds in Glencoe, who received them in the hospitable tradition of the Highlands. On the night of 12th February 1692 however, after spending the evening playing cards with their unsuspecting victims they retiring, wished them goodnight. At 5am next day the soldiers arose and the massacre began. In all, 38 men were murdered either in their homes or as they tried to flee the glen. Another 40 women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.
The Glen itself is quiet beautiful as it meanders through the the high peaks surrounding it.
Through Fort William is Glen Nevis another delightful valley with the highest mountains in the British Isles, Ben Nevis with Steall Falls where the Allt Coire a'Mhail joins the Water of Nevis in the glen.
Our second day in Fort William we planned to catch the Jacobite Train which runs from Ft William to Mallaig and return but .... on talking to our hostess and reading the "road trip" notes she had prepared we decided to give it a miss and drive ourselves. It was a great decision! We stopped and saw heaps, including the ruined Inverlochy Castle and the Jacobite train passing over "that" viaduct.